Belt guiding and shifting device.



L. L. THOMPSON.

' BELT GUIDING AND SHIPTING DEVICE.

APPLICATION FILED MAR. 9, 1911.

Patented Feb. 6, '1912.

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L. L. THOMPSON.

BELT GUIDING AND SHIFTING DEVICE.

APPLICATION FILED MAR.9,1911.

1,016,302. I v Patented Feb. 6, 19 12.

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PATENT oEEIoE.

LAURIS L. THOMPSON, OF AUSTIN, MINNESOTA.

BELT GUIDING AND SHIFTING DEVICE.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Application filed. March 9, 1911.

Patented Feb. 6, 1912.

Serial No. 613,361.

To all whom it may concern Be it known that I, LAURIS L. THOMPSON, a citizen of the United States, residing at Austin, in the county of Mower and State of Minnesota, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Belt Guiding and Shifting Devices; and I do hereby declare the following to be a full, clear, and exact description of the invention, such as will enable others skilled in the art to which it appertains to make and use the same.

My invention has for its object to provide an improved belt guide and belt shifting device, adapted for general use but especially adapted for use in connection with traction engines and, to the above ends, the invention consists of the novel devices and combinations of devices hereinafter described and defined in the claims.

The invention is illustrated in the accompanying drawings, wherein like characters indicate like parts throughout the several views.

Referring to the drawings, Figure 1 is a view showing the improved device in end elevation and'applied in working positionto a traction engine; Fig. 2 is a view of the improved device in side elevation, on an enlarged scale, removed from the traction engine, with some parts broken away and with the exposed parts shown in section and with other parts shown in different positions by means of dotted lines; Fig. 3 is a view in transverse vertical section, on an enlarged scale, taken on the line as m of Fig. 2; Fig. 4 is a transverse vertical section taken on the irregular line, w 13* of Fig. 2; and Fig. '5 is a horizontal section taken on the line 00 of Fig. 3.

Of the traction engine illustrated for the purpose of showing the improved device applied in working position, the numeral 1 indicates the boiler, and 2 the pulley over which runs a belt 3.

Referring to the improved belt guiding and shifting device, the numerals 4 and 5 indicate a pair of parallel and horizontally extended channel-shaped guides rigidly secured at their inner ends to the boiler 1, just forward of the pulley 2 by any suitable means not shown. These guides 4 and 5 have formed on their inner vertical faces horizontally extended guide grooves 6 and 7, respectively, and the guides 4 and 5 are spaced apart at their inner ends with a spacing block 8 secured to the guides 4 and 5, by means of nutted bolts. Between the outer ends of the guides 4 and 5, a roller supporting block 9 is pivotally secured by means of a horizontally extended pivot pin 10.

Secured to and projecting above the upper surface of the block 9 is a spindle 11, on which is rotatively mounted a longitudinally and vertically extended belt engaging roller 12. As shown, this roller 12 is preferably made up of a pair of concentric rollers for the purpose of making the same run easy. The roller 12 is held against removal from the spindle 11 by means of a nut having screw-threaded engagement with the extreme upper end of the spindle 11. Normally, the block 9 and roller 1.2 are held in an upright operative position, as best shown in Fig. 2, by means of a suitable lock which engages the block 9 and which look will presently be described. As soon as the block 9 is released by the lock, the same will rotate on the pivot pin 10, under the action of gravity (owing to the position of the pivot pin 10 which is located near the lower rear end position of the block 9), and thereby moves the roller 12 into an inoperative position, as shown by dotted lines in Fig. 2.

Mounted in the guides 4 and 5, below the guide channels 6 and 7, is a pair of horizontally extended and horizontally spaced shafts 18, on which are mounted a pair of alined sprocket wheels 14 which work between the guides 4 and 5 and over which sprocket wheels 14 runs a sprocket chain 15. One end of the shaft 13, nearest to the inner ends of the guides 4 and 5, projects through the guide 4 and is connected to a long operating rod 16, by means of a universal coupling 17. The rod 16 extends upward and rearward to a point slightly beyond the rear end of the boiler 1, and .on its rearwardly projecting end is secured a hand wheel 18 which is within easy reach from the engine platform. The rear end of the rod 16 is mounted in a bearing 19 secured to the boiler 1.

Mounted for endwise sliding movement between the guides 4 and 5 is a block 20 having formed on its sides guide flanges 21 which are seated in the grooves 6 and 7 of the guides 4 and 5. The lower end of the block 20 is secured to the upper portion of the sprocket chain 15 between the sprocket wheels 14, by means of a, vertically extended bolt which also extends above the block 20 and serves as a spindle 22 on which is mounted a belt guiding and shifting roller 23. The roller 23 like the roller 12 is made up of a pair of longitudinally and vertically extended concentric rollers which are held against removal from the spindle 22 by means of a nut having screw-threaded engagement therewith.

The lock for the swinging block 9, previously referred to, is in the form of a pair of longitudinally extended levers 24 and 25 pivotally secured, at their intermediate positions, to the outer face of the guide 5 and between its horizontal flanges by means of pivot pins 26 and 27, respectively. The inner ends of the levers 24 and 25 are so arranged to extend slightly one above the other and are pivotally connected by a short link 28. The upper outer end of the lever 24 is formed with a lock notch 29 and a cam nose 30 which extends from the upper outer portion of the lock notch 29 to the lower outer end of the lever 24. Extending through the block 9 is a pin 31, the projecting ends of which are, when the guide roller 12 is in an operative position, seated in open segmental seats 32 formed in the outer ends of the guides 4 and 5 and one end of the' pin 31 is adapted to be engaged, outside of the adjacent seat 32, by the lock notch 29 of the lever 24, and thereby locks the block 9 and roller 12 in their operative positions.

The outer upper end of the lever 25 terminates in a cam surface 33 which works through a slot 34 formed in the upper vertical flange of the guide 5 and normally projects into the groove 7, and ma position to be engaged by one of the guide flanges 21 of the block 20 in both directions of travel of the block 20, as best shown in Figs. 2 and 3. The downward movement of the inner end of the lever 25 is limited by means of a stop pin 35 projecting from the guide 5. The pivots 26 and 27 are so located that the weight of the inner ends of the levers 24 and 25 and the link 28 hold the lock notch 29 and cam surface 33 in their operhand wheel 18 is rotated in the proper direction to cause the sprocket chain 15 to carry the roller 23 into engagement with the running inner edge of the belt 3. Under the continued movement of the roller 23, the flange 21 of the block 20 engages the cam surface 33 ofthe lever 25 and forces the same downward. By this movement, the lock notch 29.is moved out of engagement with the pin 31, thereby releasing the block 9- and roller 12 which, under the action of gravity, will swing into inoperative positions, thereby permitting the roller 23 to crowd the belt 3 off from the pulley 2. When the block 9 and roller 12 are returned to their normal positions, the pin 31 engages the cam nose 30 and moves the lever 24 on its pivot 26 a sufficient distance to permit the pin 31 to enter the extreme inner end portion of the seat 32.

The above device, while extremely simple and of comparatively small cost to manufacture, is thought to be highly efiicient for the purposes had in view.

What I claim is:

1. In a device of the kind described, the combination with a guide, of a pair of rollers mounted on said guide and arranged, one for sliding movement and the other for swinging movement, means for moving said sliding roller including sprocket wheels and a sprocket chain, a lock for said swinging roller, and means operated by said sliding roller for releasing said lock, substantially as described.

2. In a device of the kind described, the combination with a guide, of a pair of rollers mounted on said guide and arranged, one for sliding movement and the other for swinging movement, means for moving said sliding roller including sprocket wheels and a sprocket chain, a gravity actuated lock for said swinging roller, and means operated by said sliding roller for releasing said lock, substantially as described.

3. In a device of the kind described, the

combination with a guide, of a pair of rollers mounted on said guide and arranged, one for sliding movement and the other for swinging movement, means for moving said sliding roller including sprocket wheels and a sprocket chain, a gravity actuated lock for holding said swinging roller in an operative position, and means operated by said sliding roller for releasing said lock, substantially as described.

4. In a device of the kind described, the combination with a guide, of a pair of rollers mounted on said guide and arranged, one for sliding movement and the other for swinging movement, said swinging roller having a latch lug, means for moving said sliding roller including sprocket wheels and a sprocket chain, a lock for said swinging roller including a pair of intermediately pivoted levers, the outer end of one of said operative positions under the action of levers terminating in a latch having a cam gravity, substantially as described. 10 nose for engagement with said latch lug, and In testimony whereof I afiix my signature the outer end of the other of said levers n presence of tWo Witnesses.

terminating in a cam arranged to be oper- LAURIS L. THOMPSON. ated on by said sliding roller for releasing Witnesses:

said latch, and a link connecting the inner BERNIOE G. WHEELER,

ends of said levers, said levers being held in HARRY D; KILGORE.

Copies of this patent may be obtained for five cents each, by addressing the Commissioner of Batents, Washington, D. 0. 

